The Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) has abandoned more than 14 educational infrastructural projects in the Northern Region for more than 10 years.
Alhaji Mohammed Harrun, Regional Director of Education who expressed unhappiness about the situation, appealed to the GETFund to release funds to ensure that the projects are completed within the shortest possible time to enable students to have access to the facilities.
He explained that due to the abandonment of the projects many students lack adequate infrastructure such as dormitories and classrooms.
He said 14 of the abandoned projects would be handed to new contractors.
Alhaji Harrun raised these concerns in Tamale, during a Regional Education forum organised by the Regional Coordinating Council and the Regional Education Directorate to brainstorm on factors militating against quality education.
The forum which brought various stakeholders from the educational sector and civil society organisations was on the theme: “Deeping accountability for inclusive and equitable quality education: the role of stakeholders in the education delivery process.”
Alhaji Harrun explained that many of such projects were abandoned because the contractors were not given the funds to complete them.
He said as part of measures to improve access to education, 13 new projects are being built as part of the Community Senior High Schools project to provide education to people in rural areas.
Alhaji Harun stated that there is huge demand for senior secondary schools in the region and appealed to the appropriate institutions responsible for providing infrastructure to speed up their efforts at meeting the demands of the people.
He advised teachers to accept postings to rural areas, warning that he would resist any attempt that would thwart efforts in posting teachers to such places.
Alhaji A. B. A. Fuseini, Deputy Regional Minister observed that the region is vast and has problems proportionate to its size.
He said there are deep-seated factors affecting quality education in the region and charged the participants to come out with workable solutions in resolving challenges affecting the sector.
Mr Zakaria Sulemana, Education Director for IBIS, an NGO complained about the high levels of deprivation in the educational system, noting that the remote areas of the country are the worst affected.
He called for equity in educational delivery to ensure that every Ghanaian has similar or the same standard of education.
